AN ORIGINAL Calendar Girl has offered words of advice and support to business women following in her footsteps.
Tricia Stewart met with Tracey McAtamney and the Ladies First Calendar team at Nailcote Hall ahead of their two-day photoshoot.
To mark her 60th birthday Tracey, head of Ladies First Professional Development Networking group wanted to do something memorable and meaningful with a ‘cheeky’ charity calendar.
She brought 38 plucky members of the group, aged between 19 and 80, in on the ‘act.’
And the calendar, which is now in post-production after a two-day shoot last month at Mallory Court Hotel & Spa in Leamington, is set for its red-carpet launch in October at Birmingham Rep.
A highlight of the journey so far for Tracey and her team, came last week with a visit from Tricaia, who has pledged her support to the latest venture honouring a legacy of 27 years.
As well as being director of Ladies First for ten years, Tracey also runs Surviving Bereavement Foundation offering bereavement support and cafes in the region.
As a former Coventry Carnival Queen and Miss Coventry City in 1985, she is no stranger to the celluloid spotlight, but admits the motivation for the calendar runs deeper.
She said: “Turning 60 is the heart of this charity calendar – not trying to look younger, but honouring the woman I am today. Like many women, I’ve had moments of doubting myself and feeling the pressure of unrealistic expectations. It’s easy to focus on what we think needs fixing instead of recognising our worth as we are.
“This project is about caring for myself, inside and out, growing in confidence, and choosing to live as the happiest, healthiest version of me. More than anything, I hope it encourages other women to feel proud of themselves too – because we deserve to celebrate who we are right now.”
Tricia, now 77, famously had the idea for the Alternative WI Calendar, which launched in April 1999, going on to sell more than 300,000 calendars and raising £6.5m.
As ‘Miss October,’ she was one of 11 plucky Yorkshire ladies, aged between 45 and 65, to pose for the Rylestone & District WI naked calendar, the first of its kind, which inspired a hit movie, West End stage play and musical.
Tricia said: “It was wonderful to meet the ladies and see first-hand all the work that’s going into this latest calendar.
“We did it as a team in memory of my friend Angela Baker’s late husband John, never realising that it would become so huge. It was when we saw a proof of the calendar for the first time that it hit home what we were actually doing and how amazing the photographs looked, that was a magic moment.
“The idea started off as me making a joke! It was totally against the image of the WI which is why I thought it was so funny.
“We just couldn’t believe it when, in 1999, we were approached by Disney about making the film, but we were aware we had to let them use dramatic licence on the story a bit, this wasn’t going to be a documentary.”
A number of charities set to benefit from the 2027 calendar including Surviving Bereavement Foundation; Molly Ollys; Coventry, Warwickshire and Worcestershire Mind, Edward’s Trust and breast cancer equipment for Birmingham hospitals.
